


Because You Are Nice

by Taste_is_Sweet



Series: You Make Me Feel  Like I Am Home Again [18]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst and Humor, Bad Puns, Bucky Barnes Deserves all the Presents, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes' Ridiculous Moose Hoodie, F/M, Friendship, Happy Bucky Barnes, International Fanworks Day, International Fanworks Day 2018, Light Angst, M/M, stupid jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-19 17:31:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13709280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taste_is_Sweet/pseuds/Taste_is_Sweet
Summary: It was a small package in a white protective envelope, with a neat slit at the top where it'd already been opened.Inside was a plastic sandwich bag holding something soft and blue, and a greeting card with a Bucky Bear on it. The card's front said,Happy Birthday to an Amazing Six Year Old!Bucky blinked. "It's not my birthday.""At least they got your mental age right," Sam said.





	Because You Are Nice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [darkmoore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkmoore/gifts).



> My offering for [International Fanworks Day!](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/9855) A day late, but it still counts. :D
> 
> With huge, fannish thanks to [Brumeier](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier), for doing a super-fast beta on this so I could post it before midnight. You rock, Bru. ♥

"Oh, my God, look. This little girl sent me a picture of me flying. All in crayon. Isn't that cute?" Sam shoved the wrinkled, badly folded piece of paper under Bucky's nose. It had a vaguely human-shaped blob with vaguely wing-shaped red blobs attached to it. "Tell me that isn't the cutest thing ever."

"It isn't the cutest thing ever," Bucky said, then grinned at Sam's flat stare. " _This_ is the cutest thing ever." He turned the picture he'd been holding so Sam could see it. "I'm pretty sure it's me an' Stevie holding hands," he said, because it was difficult to tell what the magic marker stick people were actually doing.

"Are you the one with the giant head?"

Bucky yanked the picture back, scowling. "That's my _helmet._ " He rolled his eyes at Sam's chuckle, then carefully refolded the picture and put it back into the envelope. He added that envelope to the plastic storage container he and Steve would take back to their floor. Their Keep Box was big; Bucky and Steve weren't all that picky when it came to sorting their fan letters. Basically, they had an unspoken agreement that anything written by a kid ended up on their floor. They were a bit more choosy about the adults, but a _lot_ of children liked writing to the Avengers.

Steve and Bucky were two of five Avengers on the common floor of the tower. Sam had come up especially for this, even, which Bucky pretended to be annoyed about. Thor was at some science thing with Jane in London, Rhodey was busy with Air Force stuff, and Tony and Bruce were 'doing some science and we'll drop by later'. But Steve, Bucky, Sam, Clint and Natasha were there. Going through fan mail was one of their responsibilities when they weren't saving the world, and it was a lot more fun when you had friends to share it with.

Bucky was grateful to each and every person who cared enough to take the time and effort to send him something. He knew the others felt the same. Hell, in a lot of ways it was like Christmas every few weeks. It was just that there was a lot of mail. They each had a freaking _crate_ of it, and that was after the specially-assigned S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel had vetted them. Sometimes Bucky shuddered to think of what didn't make the cut, considering how much bizarre stuff did—he was pretty sure whoever went through his letters thought the marriage and/or threesome proposals were hilarious, since he kept getting those—but most of the mail was just nice people writing nice things. It took a while to go through, but it made him happy.

"A young woman in Georgia invited me to her prom," Steve said, passing Bucky the letter. He was sharing the couch with Sam. "She wanted to make a YouTube video, but she thought I'd prefer a handwritten invitation."

"That is very nice handwriting," Bucky said. He was on the floor between Steve's knees, because otherwise he and Sam would get into one of their usual manspread leg-shoving matches, and today he didn't feel like it. Bucky was also wearing his moose hoodie, and three bracelets he grabbed at random that morning. He loved Mail Day, but sometimes the emotion in the letters got a little overwhelming. He handed the letter back to Steve. "You gonna go?"

"I'm thinking about it," Steve said. "I might be able to turn it into a local charity thing." He grimaced. "But I don't want to get flooded with invitations."

"Write her a nice note saying you'll be busy. That will make her happy," Natasha said. She was sitting on the loveseat with her back to the armrest and her legs stretched over Clint's thighs. She didn't look up from the letter she was reading. What Bucky could see of it looked typed, and probably in Hindi. There were two pages, and the way it was written looked like poetry.

"What's that?" Bucky asked.

"Nothing important," Natasha said, but the way she carefully folded the letter and put it back in the envelope definitely said otherwise. The envelope was hand-decorated too. Either Natasha had one hell of an admirer, or they might have another stalker to worry about. That happened occasionally, though never for long.

"You okay?" Clint asked her. He'd been giggling over what he was reading, but now he looked ready to put an arrow through someone's eye. "Was that a really pretty death threat? Did S.H.I.E.L.D. fuck up again?"

"I'm fine." She leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "It wasn't a death threat. I'll tell you about it later."

"Alright." Clint looked a little suspicious, but he went back to reading. "This is great. This guy drew a comic of me. I keep falling into dumpsters."

"True to life, then," Natasha said.

Now Bucky was burning with curiosity about what Natasha received, but if he'd learned anything from Hydra it was how precious privacy was. He kept his mouth shut and grabbed the next letter out of his crate instead. It was actually a small package in a white protective envelope, with a neat slit at the top where it'd already been opened.

Inside was a plastic sandwich bag holding something soft and blue, and a greeting card with a Bucky Bear on it. The card's front said, _Happy Birthday to an Amazing Six Year Old!_

Bucky blinked. "It's not my birthday."

"At least they got your mental age right," Sam said.

"Fuck off," Bucky said without heat. Then, "You too," to Steve because the asshole was smirking. "You're both just jealous 'cause I got a card with a cute _me_ on it, and you're too ugly for anyone to bother." He ignored Sam's, 'Yeah, we're _jealous_ ' and opened the card.

He'd kind of expected a kid's handwriting, because it went with the card's theme. But instead the note was written in flowery cursive that reminded him of his mom's:

_Dear Sergeant Bucky Barnes,_

_My Grandma is helping me write this because my writing isn't very good, though I am practicing._

_I hope you remember me from the grocery store. If not, then I was the girl with the Winter Soldier Bucky Bear that I let you hold. I know it is not your birthday, but I liked this card because it has a Bucky Bear on it._

_Mommy still does not believe me that it was really you in the store, but Grandma thinks I am right so she is helping with this. I wanted to send you a present, because you are nice. Grandma said it could be a hat, because you are the Winter Soldier so maybe you get cold. I can't crochet very well yet, so Grandma made it. I picked the color. I hope you like it._

_Love,_

_Mabel Adams_

"Bucky? Are you all right?" Steve put his hand on the top of Bucky's head, sounding worried. "Was the card upsetting?"

Bucky shook his head and wordlessly handed the card to Steve. He had to swallow a couple times and clench his jaw for a bit. "I'm fine," he said, when he was sure he could speak without bawling. "I just…." He took a breath. "She asked her grandmother to make me a hat. So I wouldn't be cold. I just didn't expect it."

"You're a good man, Bucky," Sam said, because of course he knew that 'I didn't expect it' meant _I'm still not sure I deserve it._ "Kids pick up on that."

Bucky nodded as he took the beanie out of the plastic bag. He knew that; he really did. He just had to _remember_ that he knew it, sometimes. The cap was a deep, sky blue, and felt soft and warm under his fingers. He put it on.

"That's awesome," Clint said. "I got some hand carved arrowheads once. That was cool."

"Someone knit the Hulk a scarf," Natasha said. "It was about twenty feet long and bright yellow. He loves it."

"I got oven mitts with birds on them," Sam said.

"I still think those were meant for me," said Hawkeye.

"The best thing I got was that hand-drawn picture of the two of us, that's hanging in the bedroom," Steve said, because he was a giant sap.

"Kind of weird, sending art to an artist," Clint said.

"What about you, Nat?" Sam asked her. "What's the most memorable thing you got from a fan?"

"Marriage proposals," she said, immediately and far too easily. Bucky was sure everyone could tell, but no one called her on it.

"Well, this is my favorite thing," Bucky said, stroking his fingers over the yarn of his new beanie.

"I don't know," Natasha said musingly. "It doesn't go with your ridiculous moose hoodie."

"Of course it goes with the moose hoodie!" Bucky said. "Everything goes with the moose hoodie. I love my moose hoodie." He stuffed his hands into the pouch, glaring at her in deep affront.

"And it makes you look like a giant gnome," Clint said.

"I was thinking, more like a sailor on a crab boat," Sam said.

"I hate all of you except Steve," Bucky said. "Steve thinks the beanie looks great." He tilted his head back, giving Steve his best puppy-eyes. "You think the beanie looks great. Right, Stevie?"

"Absolutely," Steve said, just serious enough that Bucky knew he was about to be an ass. "Though I have a sudden craving for seafood. Or a house with a lawn."

"Never mind. I hate all of you," Bucky said.

"Damn it," Sam sighed. "I don't know any gnome jokes."

"Maybe you need to go gnome and get them?" Steve asked him innocently.

"Hate. All. Of you."

"Aye, Aye, Matey," Clint said. Then, "What watch are you taking?" when Bucky glowered at him.

"The short one," Natasha said, smiling sweetly. "Because Bucky's a gnome."

"Hey," Sam said, "I know where your crab boat is! Alaska!" He looked around at everyone, grinning. " _Gnome_ , Alaska! Get it?"

"Okay, that's it." Bucky took the beanie off, carefully folded it and put it in their To Keep box. Then he rose to his feet.

"Oh shit," Sam yelped. He scrambled over the back of the couch and fled.

"Mongoose and Cobra!" Clint whooped. He and Natasha scattered.

Steve was on his feet too, eyes darting between all the unopened mail and his wolfishly grinning boyfriend. "But, Sweetheart. The letters. We should—"

" _Cobra down!_ " Bucky yelled as he tackled him.

 

END

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is for [darkmoore](http://archiveofourown.org/users/darkmoore/pseuds/darkmoore), because of an incredible gift she is making me. A blue beanie may be included. ;)
> 
> [I have a Tumblr!](http://taste-is-sweet.tumblr.com/)


End file.
